Post by LS on Feb 18, 2004 23:52:31 GMT -5
Various Artists
Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
(NorthernBlues)
By Danté Dominick
Tribute albums provide reviewers the opportunity to wax poetic on revered heroes, salivating to add their voice to any discussion on a figure of enormous stature. I, however, am under the predilection that if you are not aware of Johnny Cash's significance than you A) live in a "rat-hole" with foreign dictators or B) are yet too young to press 'play.' Either way, this space will be dedicated to discussing this compilation (mostly anyway, tangents are sure to abound) and not Cash's legacy for the desperately ignorant.
We are presented a collection of 13 songs either written or popularized by The Man In Black. The blues theme is perfect for Cash's material. Before the hat-act era of glitz and headset microphones, country music was essentially the white man's blues. Starting with a good idea, Johnny's Blues is made better by incorporating a wide spectrum of styles that are deemed "blues." Jump, swing, boogie-woogie, folk, country, acoustic and rockin' are all idioms that can be followed by the term "blues" and they all make an appearance as well as a few surprises.
Toronto's NorthernBlues is the label responsible for this offering, produced by Canadian Colin Linden (who also provides a great rendition of "Big River" ) and I can hear the gasping already. How does a bunch of Canucks get the nerve to, not only touch an American icon, but to do so with a purely American form of expression? First off, apparently the blues, though sprouting from the U.S. South, is a feeling that is loyal to no flag or credence. Second, keep in mind that it is our Canadian neighbor that sprouted the greatest Americana band of all time. "What band?" The same Band that brought us Virgil Caine, W.S. Walcott's Medicine Show and King Harvest. If you're still confused, take a load off Fanny and get together with the folks unfamiliar with Johnny Cash -- you have a lot of catching up to do.
A rather scorching "Train of Love" from Paul Reddick (good God, another Canadian) kicks off the tribute. Harmonica, electric dobro and a solid backbeat fuel Reddick's fine delivery that prepares us for "Get Rhythm" at the hands of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Approaching 80, Gatemouth is deserving of a few tribute albums of his own. Brown has proven the virtuoso in big-band, fiddle music, stomp blues and whatever else ever since his uninvited 1947 debut in Houston where he walked on stage during a T-Bone Walker performance, picked up a guitar and just started playing. Gate's six-string snaps, quips and tweaks the living hell out of this swingin' number that is a perfect match for Cash's statement, "get rhythm when you get the blues." Do so and you're sure to dance the blues away. If you're not tapping, snapping or all-out shimmying in some manner during this cut you might want to check for a pulse.
Maria Muldaur tones things down a bit with a smoky "Walking the Blues" accompanied only by acoustic guitar. Del Rey's exquisite delta style matches Muldaur's vocals the kind of vocals that have you closing your eyes and swaying your head side to side. If she doesn't have a scotch on the rocks in one hand while singing, someone get her one.
The compilation continues to change things up with different styles and tempos. Some with scarce resemblance to JC and others a perfect match. It should come as no surprise that Sleepy LaBeef regularly includes Cash tunes in his repertoire. LaBeef's low register voice and shufflin' guitar complete with bass runs provides the cut that most resembles a Cash performance. LaBeef made a terrific decision to do one of Cash's humorous numbers, "Frankie's Man Johnny." Cash had a biting sense of humor and penned some truly witty tales, but this side of the man is usually forgotten these days. Hard to believe, but these days many folks first taste of Cash might be the arresting video for his cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." It is a haunting image and so it is nice to see a nod to his whimsical side.
The most Cashesque tune is followed by Corey Harris' eclectic, Rastafari version of "Redemption." A truly unique treatment that is a powerful, almost theatrical, take on the fickle life between heaven and hell. Equally compelling is Kevin Breit's "bluesy mariachi style" approach to "Send A Picture of Mother." Breit plays steel guitar, bass clarinet, mandolin, mandola, mandocello and electric slide guitar. Yes, there is some mariachi trumpet in there as well as fiddle and percussion. Sound odd? Even odder, it is an instrumental. It would take a magnificent arrangement to pull of a Johnny Cash tune sans lyrics and a magnificent arrangement it is. Simply put, beautiful. Says Breit, "the words haunt and touch me deeply. If only I could sing."
Of course, every tribute album has some instances of, "oooooh, don't do that," and Johnny's Blues is no exception. Most glaring: sitar on "Long Black Veil." It doesn't work -- at all. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings almost provide the best "Folsom Prison Blues" cover in recent memory with a gritty dirge that breathes new attitude into a classic. The decision to submit the crash cymbal to delay and echo effects at the end of each 12-bar cycle is questionable, but forgivable since they are laying down the freshest rendition of an oft-covered song and everything else in this version is kicking ass. However, halfway through they decided to loop this digitally modified cymbal and it creates one of the most annoying sounds ever put to record. There is a piano solo going on underneath but it is barely audible. The noise lasts a full 40 seconds and turns the track from a highlight of the collection to a "skipper."
The highlights far outnumber the low points, though, making Johnny's Blues very worthwhile. Tribute albums sometimes prove interesting but not worth repeated listens. It's tricky. To compile a collection of similarly styled peers providing straight ahead covers would be, well, kind of pointless. But the opposite tactic of utilizing artists whose style is worlds apart from the subject, a ploy record labels seem to love, usually provides a raised eyebrow and a perfunctory single listen then banishment to the bottom of your shelf. I'm waiting for "Ugly Kid Joe does Barry Manilow" or "Arlo Guthrie Meets the Flying-V."
NorthernBlues tactfully tread a perfect balance between these two poles. Equally pleasing was the selection of both relatively unfamiliar artists with some of the blues' bigger names, including Chris Thomas King -- blending Cash and Leadbelly interpretations of the traditional "Rock Island Line" -- and Alvin Youngblood Hart who, accompanied only by his own guitar, provides a gorgeous "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" -- a Kris Kristofferson tune Cash had a hit with in the 70s that has to rank as one of the best songs ever written.
For a perfect ending, an ending that in fact suggests there is no end, is Mavis Staples turn for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," a song she and her family sang with the Cash family on the Opry stage. Music is an expression of spirit and neither force is apt to fade away. One man's music has inspired countless millions of souls, all who will make their own contribution to this game we call civilization. To that effect, this album serves to answer that question; yes, the circle will remain unbroken.
www.northernblues.com
__________________________________________
TANGLE EYE
Alan Lomax's Southern Journey Remixed
(Zoë/Rounder)
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2004
There is nothing more exciting than a brilliant production concept brought to life. This is precisely what New Orleans-based Tangle Eye (Scott Billington and Steve Reynolds) has accomplished with this remix project. Billington and Reynolds have taken some of Alan Lomax's best field recordings from his Southern Journey series and created an instrumental arrangement for each voice. The results are uncanny. Some songs—including "Heaven," "Holler" and "Soldier"—are intensely beat-rich, making them perfect for club DJs. The tunes "Hangman" and "O Death" are elegant, moody, traditional songs. "Chantey"—taken from "Menhadden Chanteys," performed by Bright Light Quartet—is perfectly re-imagined as a reggae tune. "Rosie" is a work song transformed into a fiery rock number, animated by the sizzling slide guitar of Jeff Raines. At the heart of every track remains the original voice Lomax recorded (between 1947 and 1960). Tangle Eye has masterminded one very special remix CD.
Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
(NorthernBlues)
By Danté Dominick
Tribute albums provide reviewers the opportunity to wax poetic on revered heroes, salivating to add their voice to any discussion on a figure of enormous stature. I, however, am under the predilection that if you are not aware of Johnny Cash's significance than you A) live in a "rat-hole" with foreign dictators or B) are yet too young to press 'play.' Either way, this space will be dedicated to discussing this compilation (mostly anyway, tangents are sure to abound) and not Cash's legacy for the desperately ignorant.
We are presented a collection of 13 songs either written or popularized by The Man In Black. The blues theme is perfect for Cash's material. Before the hat-act era of glitz and headset microphones, country music was essentially the white man's blues. Starting with a good idea, Johnny's Blues is made better by incorporating a wide spectrum of styles that are deemed "blues." Jump, swing, boogie-woogie, folk, country, acoustic and rockin' are all idioms that can be followed by the term "blues" and they all make an appearance as well as a few surprises.
Toronto's NorthernBlues is the label responsible for this offering, produced by Canadian Colin Linden (who also provides a great rendition of "Big River" ) and I can hear the gasping already. How does a bunch of Canucks get the nerve to, not only touch an American icon, but to do so with a purely American form of expression? First off, apparently the blues, though sprouting from the U.S. South, is a feeling that is loyal to no flag or credence. Second, keep in mind that it is our Canadian neighbor that sprouted the greatest Americana band of all time. "What band?" The same Band that brought us Virgil Caine, W.S. Walcott's Medicine Show and King Harvest. If you're still confused, take a load off Fanny and get together with the folks unfamiliar with Johnny Cash -- you have a lot of catching up to do.
A rather scorching "Train of Love" from Paul Reddick (good God, another Canadian) kicks off the tribute. Harmonica, electric dobro and a solid backbeat fuel Reddick's fine delivery that prepares us for "Get Rhythm" at the hands of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Approaching 80, Gatemouth is deserving of a few tribute albums of his own. Brown has proven the virtuoso in big-band, fiddle music, stomp blues and whatever else ever since his uninvited 1947 debut in Houston where he walked on stage during a T-Bone Walker performance, picked up a guitar and just started playing. Gate's six-string snaps, quips and tweaks the living hell out of this swingin' number that is a perfect match for Cash's statement, "get rhythm when you get the blues." Do so and you're sure to dance the blues away. If you're not tapping, snapping or all-out shimmying in some manner during this cut you might want to check for a pulse.
Maria Muldaur tones things down a bit with a smoky "Walking the Blues" accompanied only by acoustic guitar. Del Rey's exquisite delta style matches Muldaur's vocals the kind of vocals that have you closing your eyes and swaying your head side to side. If she doesn't have a scotch on the rocks in one hand while singing, someone get her one.
The compilation continues to change things up with different styles and tempos. Some with scarce resemblance to JC and others a perfect match. It should come as no surprise that Sleepy LaBeef regularly includes Cash tunes in his repertoire. LaBeef's low register voice and shufflin' guitar complete with bass runs provides the cut that most resembles a Cash performance. LaBeef made a terrific decision to do one of Cash's humorous numbers, "Frankie's Man Johnny." Cash had a biting sense of humor and penned some truly witty tales, but this side of the man is usually forgotten these days. Hard to believe, but these days many folks first taste of Cash might be the arresting video for his cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." It is a haunting image and so it is nice to see a nod to his whimsical side.
The most Cashesque tune is followed by Corey Harris' eclectic, Rastafari version of "Redemption." A truly unique treatment that is a powerful, almost theatrical, take on the fickle life between heaven and hell. Equally compelling is Kevin Breit's "bluesy mariachi style" approach to "Send A Picture of Mother." Breit plays steel guitar, bass clarinet, mandolin, mandola, mandocello and electric slide guitar. Yes, there is some mariachi trumpet in there as well as fiddle and percussion. Sound odd? Even odder, it is an instrumental. It would take a magnificent arrangement to pull of a Johnny Cash tune sans lyrics and a magnificent arrangement it is. Simply put, beautiful. Says Breit, "the words haunt and touch me deeply. If only I could sing."
Of course, every tribute album has some instances of, "oooooh, don't do that," and Johnny's Blues is no exception. Most glaring: sitar on "Long Black Veil." It doesn't work -- at all. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings almost provide the best "Folsom Prison Blues" cover in recent memory with a gritty dirge that breathes new attitude into a classic. The decision to submit the crash cymbal to delay and echo effects at the end of each 12-bar cycle is questionable, but forgivable since they are laying down the freshest rendition of an oft-covered song and everything else in this version is kicking ass. However, halfway through they decided to loop this digitally modified cymbal and it creates one of the most annoying sounds ever put to record. There is a piano solo going on underneath but it is barely audible. The noise lasts a full 40 seconds and turns the track from a highlight of the collection to a "skipper."
The highlights far outnumber the low points, though, making Johnny's Blues very worthwhile. Tribute albums sometimes prove interesting but not worth repeated listens. It's tricky. To compile a collection of similarly styled peers providing straight ahead covers would be, well, kind of pointless. But the opposite tactic of utilizing artists whose style is worlds apart from the subject, a ploy record labels seem to love, usually provides a raised eyebrow and a perfunctory single listen then banishment to the bottom of your shelf. I'm waiting for "Ugly Kid Joe does Barry Manilow" or "Arlo Guthrie Meets the Flying-V."
NorthernBlues tactfully tread a perfect balance between these two poles. Equally pleasing was the selection of both relatively unfamiliar artists with some of the blues' bigger names, including Chris Thomas King -- blending Cash and Leadbelly interpretations of the traditional "Rock Island Line" -- and Alvin Youngblood Hart who, accompanied only by his own guitar, provides a gorgeous "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" -- a Kris Kristofferson tune Cash had a hit with in the 70s that has to rank as one of the best songs ever written.
For a perfect ending, an ending that in fact suggests there is no end, is Mavis Staples turn for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," a song she and her family sang with the Cash family on the Opry stage. Music is an expression of spirit and neither force is apt to fade away. One man's music has inspired countless millions of souls, all who will make their own contribution to this game we call civilization. To that effect, this album serves to answer that question; yes, the circle will remain unbroken.
www.northernblues.com
__________________________________________
TANGLE EYE
Alan Lomax's Southern Journey Remixed
(Zoë/Rounder)
Release Date: Feb. 24, 2004
There is nothing more exciting than a brilliant production concept brought to life. This is precisely what New Orleans-based Tangle Eye (Scott Billington and Steve Reynolds) has accomplished with this remix project. Billington and Reynolds have taken some of Alan Lomax's best field recordings from his Southern Journey series and created an instrumental arrangement for each voice. The results are uncanny. Some songs—including "Heaven," "Holler" and "Soldier"—are intensely beat-rich, making them perfect for club DJs. The tunes "Hangman" and "O Death" are elegant, moody, traditional songs. "Chantey"—taken from "Menhadden Chanteys," performed by Bright Light Quartet—is perfectly re-imagined as a reggae tune. "Rosie" is a work song transformed into a fiery rock number, animated by the sizzling slide guitar of Jeff Raines. At the heart of every track remains the original voice Lomax recorded (between 1947 and 1960). Tangle Eye has masterminded one very special remix CD.